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Historical Events 

In the Vicinity of Philadelphia, Par- 
ticipated in by the Scotch^rish m 
the Latter Part of the Year 1777. 
Also a Brief Account of Brad ocks 

Defeat in the French and Indian 
War, 1755. 



BY THOMAS SHARP, 

Lt. Col. U.S. Army. 



READ BEFORE THE 

Hamilton Library Association 

Carlisle, Pa. October 16, 1914. 

By J. Webster Henderson^sq^.^^ 

■—I the 
,wn for 



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CARLISLE, PA., OCT. 16, 1914. 
I am indebted to Mr. W. Homer Ames, 
of Carlisle, for historical research, also 
to Capt. John Colwell, U. S. N., former 
Naval Attache, for corroboratory infor- 
mation from British Colonial Records, 
m London, and to General Asa Bird 
Gardiner, U. S. A., for points in the tac- 
tics and equipment of the period. 

T, S. 



LOCAL HiSTQRY. 

Events in the Vicinity of Piiiladeiphia 
Participated in by the Scotch Irish in 
the Latter Part of the Year 1777. Also 
a Brief Account of Braddock's Defeat 
in French and Indian War, 1755. 



BY THOMAS SHARP, LT. COL. U. S. ARMY, 



Read Before the Hamilton Library Asso- 
ciation, Carlisle, Pa., October 16, 1914, 
by J. Webster Henderson, Esq., and 
Published for the Historical Depart- 
ment. 

When William Penn peopled his newly 
acquired possession he gave the land 
about Philadelphia to his English friends 
and the Quakers. The Germans would, 
he thought, make peaceable neighbors 
so he located them next to the first 
named in what is now Lancaster and 
Berks Counties, but the Scotch Irish 
wereM stubborn, contentious peoplg^o 
he sent them toward and beyond the 
Susquehanna. 

The spirit of acquisition inherent in 
Scotch character developed rapidly and 
they came in great numbers. In these 
days it would be called a boom. 

With grief the Indians saw the forest 
melt away into stumpy fields and do- 
mestic animals take the place of wild 
game. It aroused their enmity and war 
followed. Appeals were made by the 
frontier people to Colony and Crown for 



military protection, but they were met 
with the reply that as shown by Penn's 
experience the Indians were peaceable 
and if there was ^ny trouble the whites 
were the aggressors. 

The sentiment of the colony was gen- 
erally against them but there were dis- 
senters. One of these was Benjamin 
Franklin, who understood the situation 
and bent his resourceful mind to pro- 
viding a remedy. 

This he did by formulating a peculiar 
military system called "Associators" 
composed of men ou the frontier. 

All the men joined until a large com- 
pany was raised. It was then divided 
into classes or sections, (as many as half 
a dozen) which were to be called into 
service in turn, while those left behind 
gave necessary aid to the families of 
those on duty. 

This system was in vogue at the time 
of the outbreak of the Revolution. 
Though there were many regiments, I 
will speak more particularly of the 
brigade of Gen. Potter and will follow its 
history. 

James Potter had been an Indian 
fighter all his life and had risen through 
the different grades from Lieutenant to 
Colonel 

If you looked over the roster of a regi- 
ment of Potter's brigade you would al- 
most think you were reading the names 
on the roll of membership of an old-time 
Scotch Presbyterian congregation. 

Potter's own Scotch-Irish personality 
cropped out in the dialect and phrase- 
ology of his official papers. For example, 
he spelled Gen. Sullivan's name Solovan, 
and in telling of a hotly contested battle 
with superior numbers he said, "we dis- 



puted the matter with them." 

The brigade was in service in the army 
in 1777. It was at Brandywine but, be- 
ing on the left of the line, saw nothing 
of the action. The American army was 
posted in a line facing the Brandywine. 
The art of military "security and infor- 
mation" was unknown in our army at 
that time and Howe, who was an accom- 
plished soldier, made a fierce attack on 
the American front at "Chad's" ford, 
while by a detour the main body of his 
army crossed the Brandywine a few miles 
above and suddenly appeared in fighting 
line on Washington's right flank. The 
Americans attempted to change front to 
the right to meet them but it was too 
late and the British struck them in the 
maneuvre. To give the result in ball 
game parlance, Washington "scored a 
goose egg." Marquis Marie Jean Paul 
Roch Yves Gilbert Motier La Fayette 
had a part of his name shot away and a 
burning question was "which is the best 
road to Philadelphia?" 

At Germantown the Associators were 
on the right where they encountered 
but little opposition and advanced so 
far that they had to be called back after 
the retreat had been commenced. 

In December when Washington was 
encamped at Whitemarsh supplies of all 
kinds ran low. There was an unequal 
supply of ammunition. There were on 
the average of the army six rounds per 
man, though the Associators were pretty 
well supplied. 

Howe contemplated a repetition of the 
movement which had been so successful 
at Brandywine, viz., a secret move until 
he could form line against one of Wash- 
ington's flanks and then a vigorous at- 



tack. But Washington got timely in- 
formation of the plan, (probably the 
Lydia Darrah Legend might fit in here) 
and advanced Irvine's Division (in which 
was Potter's brigade and other Associa- 
tors) to Chestnut Hill where a fierce 
little engagement took place. Irvine 
(himself a Scotch-Irishman by descent) 
was wounded and taken prisoner, but 
the British were checked and later fell 
back to Philadelphia. A few days after 
they made a like attempt on Washing- 
ton's left but were repulsed by Morgan's 
riflemen. 

When Washington decided to move 
from Whitemarsh to Valley Forge his 
plan was to cross the Schuylkill at Gulf 
Creek (near Norristown) where a tem- 
porary bridge was constructed by run- 
ning wagons in the stream and laying a 
boardwalk on them. 

Potter's brigade was sent some four 
miles down the river on the west bank. 

When a part of the army (Sullivan's 
division) had crossed, a force of the 
British under Lord Cornwallis who had 
crossed at the middle ferry (Market St.) 
moved rapidly up, the object being to 
strike the Americans when divided by 
the river. These encountered the dough- 
ty Potter, whose generalship was here 
clearly shown. He divided his force and 
formed two lines, one on the best po- 
sition at hand, and the other on a good 
position some distance in rear. The 
orders were for the line in front to "fight 
until overpowered, then fall back 
through the second line, reform on a 
good position and commence again when 
the second line, now become the first, 
fell back through them." In this way 
we "disputed the matter with them for 



four miles." 

To readily understand this, bear in 
mind tiiat the heavy smooth bore musket 
carried by the British had an effective 
range of less than three hundred yards , 
and the Associators, being backwoods- 
men, were marksmen. 

Sullivan's division recrossed the 
Schuylkill and joined the main army. 

Washington issued a general order 
thanking Potter's Brigade for the ser- 
vices rendered on this occasion. 

The Army a few days later crossed the 
river higher up and reached Valley 
Forge. 

History belittles the achievements of 
Potter and Irvine. It passes them by, 
by terming them "minor events in De- 
cember, 1777." 

Therefore, let me recapitulate some of 
the conditions attending the battle of 
Chestnut Hill, showing its importance. 

The officers of the troops which ar- 
rived from the North flushed with their 
recent success clamored for the capture 
of Philadelphia. Washington well knew 
the futility of such an attempt, opposed 
it, and finally assembled a council of war 
to discuss it. 

Four American officers in the council 
voted for an assault upon the lines of 
the greatly superior British force, but 
the General, sustained by eleven others, 
disregarded their murmurs and rejected 
"the mad enterprise." 

On the night of December 4th, the 
British marched out in force to attack 
the American lines, and Washington 
knowing that his supply of ammunition 
was insufficient for a general engagement 
in the field, detailed Irvine's division 
(Associators and a small number of 



Continentals) as a forlorn hope to meet 
and retard them. 

We have all heard the story of Wink- 
elried, who, reaching out his brawny 
arms to the right and to the left, gather- 
ed the points of the Austrian spears 
against his own bosom and pressing 
forward with the cry "make way for 
liberty" caused a breach in the enemy's 
lines tlirough which his countrymen 
rushed to victory. 

Such heroism was fittingly illustrated 
by Irvine, who rushed to the point of 
fiercest attack at Chestnut Hill from 
which he was carried away by the British, 
wounded and bleeding, while his object 
was accomplished, the British having 
been repulsed and a great disaster to the 
American army averted. 

Irvine, as before said, met the enemy 
at Chestnut Hill, where, leading them, 
he heroically threw his division of raw 
Associators against an overwhelmingly 
greater force of highly trained British 
regulars, and checked their advance 
though his command suffered severely 
and he himself was wounded and taken 
prisoner. 

But here let me note the factor his 
action became in general results. His- 
tory tells us that Vv^ashington spent the 
day and night (of December 5th when 
the British were at Chestnut Hill) in 
strengthening his position at White 
Marsh. It does not describe his method 
of fortification, but as his men were 
largely backwoodsmen, expert with the 
axe and trees were plenty, I would con- 
jecture that it was the construction of 
"abattis" so arranged as to hamper the 
movements of the British lines while an 
"enfilade fire" would be directed on 



theoi. 

Howe returned to Philadelphia and 
after a tentative skirmish on Washing- 
ton's left refrained from the aggressive. 
My belief is that he had in mind Brad- 
dock's defeat, where with like conditions 
sixty French soldiers, allied with one 
hundred and eighty couriers de bois and 
voyageurs and a few Indians, routed the 
finest army which up to that time had 
been mustered on the American conti- 
nent. 

Having referred to Braddock's defeat, 
let us give a brief account of it. It is 
Pennsylvania history. 

The French Government, alarmed by 
the magnitude of Braddock's expedi- 
tion, appealed to the scattered French 
settlements in America to rally to the 
aid of Fort Duquesne. 

One of these was Michilimackinac, 
governed by Sieur De Langlede. 

Le Langlede (more commonly called 
Langlede) was the son of a French 
nobleman and his Indian wife. He was 
born at Mackinac. As a boy he was 
educated under tutors in America and 
then sent to France to complete his 
education, after which he was commis- 
sioned in the French army. Having 
shown remarkable administrative ability 
he was sent to his native place as gover- 
nor, (a small office having a large title.) 
On receiving the notice to aid Fort 
Duquesne he took the force at Mackinac 
consisting of one company (sixty 
regulars) under Captain Beaujeau; 
gathered a force of voyageurs and 
couriers de bois, one hundred and eighty 
in number, seasoned men familiar with 
fire arms, and started in canoes down 
Lake Huron through the Detroit River 



and Lake Erie to Presque Isle, (now 
Erie, Pa.) Thence they portaged their 
canoes over to the head waters of French 
Creek and floated down that and the 
Allegheny to Fort Duquesne. 

On their arrival there they found Col. 
Contrecoeur, the Commandant, dis- 
mantling the fort and shipping the 
armament down the river in batteaux. 
On Lanjjiede's inquiry why he did that, 
his reply was "When Braddock gets his 
artillery on that hill he will quickly 
knock our palisades into splinters." 
The reply of Langlede was "You need 
not let him get there at all; meet him in 
the woods." Contrecoeur, who was 
trained to large field movements, said 
his force was too small. Then Langlede 
bristled up and said "If you will do 
nothing, I will meet him with my own 
little command." 

By that time the British were close at 
hand. Langlede made a quick recon- 
noisance, selected a spot with trees for his 
command, started out with it accom- 
panied by a few volunteers from Fort 
Duquesne, followed by the loose vaga- 
bond Indians found near every fort 
incited by the hope of plunder. 

Contrecoeur remained in the Fort 
shipping the stores down the river and 
would not believe that Braddock had 
been defeated until the Indians com- 
menced to come in with plunder of a 
kind which would be abandoned only by 
a completely routed army. Then he 
fired a salute and prepared a report 
claiming that he had defeated Braddock 
by an overwhelming force of French and 
Indians. 

Captain Beaujeau, who commanded 
the only company of regulars in the 



action, being killed, could make no 
report, so Contrecoeur had the oppor- 
tunity to fix it up to suit himself and 
from Contrecoeur's false report arises 
the confusion which has misled histor- 
ians. He failed to mention Lang|ede 
andthe_Machilimackinac contijjgent, 
who really did aJOhe^Sglitlng^ while the 
Duquesne garrison were making prepara- 
tions to escape down the river. 

To me it was straightened out by a 
scholarly French priest given to histori- 
cal research (who had access to military, 
Jesuit and other records) with whom I 
became acquainted while stationed at 
Fort Mackinac. Contrecoeur may have 
shared the fate of Admiral Byng had 
the truth been known. 

None of the regular Fort Duquesne 
garrison except a few young officers who 
managed to join Langlede as volunteers 
were in the action. 

Let us now turn from the French to 
the British side. Gen. Braddock, who 
commanded, was an officer of about forty 
years' experience. He was brave as a 
lion, and, despite his years, as active as 
a colt, believed in the validity of the 
British military system, (the three rank 
battle formation) despised the Ameri- 
cans and the Indians and believed that 
if the latter were met by a "solid body" 
(as he termed it) they could be undone — 
would melt away. 

The head of his column reached a 
somewhat open spot faced on the op- 
posite side by a curtain of foliage and 
trees. Suddenly a man dressed as an 
Indian but wearing the decorations of an 
officer, sprang from the woods near the 
head of the column, waved a signal and 
quickly disappeared. At once fire on 



10 

the British troops commenced. Gage 
returned volleys but only hit the trees. 
Braddock hurried to the front of the 
column to form the "solid body" in line 
but the result of the maneuvre was to 
mass his troops against the very muzzles 
of a concealed and protected enemy. 
They made a better target than the pro- 
verbial "barn door." Every shot took 
effect; Braddock labored heroically, four 
horses were shot under him before he 
fell mortally wounded. 

The result has often been told. It 
was first defeat, next retreat, then panic. 

The term "deploy as skirmishers" 
was not as yet in the military vocabulary 
but Washington knew what was wanted 
and extended a line of riflemen at inter- 
vals in rear of the fleeing army. This, 
in connection with the fact that the 
French force was a very small one, saved 
Braddock's army. 

As the correctness of my account de- 
pends largely on the numbers engaged I 
will prove it by one solitary witness, 
namely, Capt. Robert Orme, Aide De- 
Camp on Gen. Braddock's staff, who was 
a personal friend of Washington and a 
writer of repute on military subjects. 

Capt. Orme says the number of the 
enemy did not exceed. three hundrg^. 
Now, thisTcaTcuIallon of the enemy by 
Capt. Orme was made while he and his 
command were under a withering fire 
which they had little opportunity to re- 
turn. There are among you men who 
have been thus situated and you know 
the tendency is to overestimate the 
numerical force of the enemy. How is 
that? 

The preparations by Contrecoeur to 
evacuate Ft. Duquesne on the approach 



11 

of Braddock in 1755, was again made 
available in 1758, when Forbes after a 
snail-like movement, approached within 
fifty miles of the place allowed Wash- 
ington, who, with bis Virginians, led the 
van to make such a vigorous attack that 
the entire French garrison (500 in num- 
ber) embarked on a fleet of batteaux 
and floated down the Ohio, leaving the 
site on which Fort Pitt was established 
provided with munition of war. 

This convinces me that the method 
had been devised long before (ab initio.) 
to secure the safety of the garrison, 
which was insecure by reason of remote- 
ness from other French settlements and 
rather closely contiguous to ever ad- 
vancing English colonies. 

My belief is that the purpose of the 
French in establishing Fort Duquesne 
(built in 1754) was not to secure supre- 
macy in the Allegheny region, but to 
prevent the emigration of English speak- 
ing population to the Mississippi valley 
(mainly French territory.) 

France had secured sites on all the 
streams flowing into "The Father of 
Waters" and there was in France a 
sanguine vision of glories to be attained 
by combining French thrift with Ameri- 
can soil and climate. This, I think, 
accounts for their ever preparedness to 
move the Duquesne force to some point 
further down the river. 

Let us now drop the French and In- 
dian War and return to the war for In- 
dependence. 

Braddock's defeat was the first large 
engagement in which Washington parti- 
cipated and he was -quick to see that the 
heavy three rank line of battle, formid- 
able as it was in the open field, came to 



12 
naught when directed against a force 
properly posted in a well selected woods. 
It was a lesson which^e (Washington) 
kept iu mind and a resource which he 
held in reserve from the time he took 
command at Cambridge until the smoke 
of the last gun fired at Yorktown faded 
away in the mist of the York River. 

While Howe, with more than twenty 
thousand well appointed, well equipped 
and well disciplined men, spent the win- 
ter in Philadelphia, Washington's half 
clothed, half starved, greatly diminished 
army shivered at Valley Forge. Irregu- 
lar American detachments patroled the 
neutral ground between the two places 
and Benjamin Franklin, "facile prin- 
ceps" of diplomats, commenced to se- 
cure the recognition of our government 
by the nations of the world. 



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